


Marching to a Different Beat

by radkoko



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coma, Dysfunctional Family, Implied Relationships, M/M, Protests, Repressed Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-09 21:26:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4364765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radkoko/pseuds/radkoko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The room wasn't his own. It was Erik's. Looking to his side he saw the sleeping figure of Erik, not at all woken up by his movement.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Odd… Charles couldn't remember spending the night in Erik's room, or if Erik even returned his affections. He watched the other man's naked chest rise and fall with each moment that passed, seeing the slow signs of him waking up.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"Charles?" Erik mumbled sitting up next to Charles, who hadn't moved since he woke up.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"Good morning," he offered, not sure how he should be reacting to this.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Erik's hand reached up to cup the side of Charles' face, and gave a chaste kiss to his cheek, "Is everything alright, Charles?"</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The gesture was loving, something he had craved from the other man since they met in the chilly waters that night in Florida. He felt like he was choking on his breath again, trying to say he was fine, but he couldn't.</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking the iTunes mix challenge and adjusting it to my liking… 10 Canon stories inspired by songs on my playlist that kept screaming Charles/Erik.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No money is made from writing this fic, and the use of characters and lyrics is for the pure enjoyment of creating a compelling story.

Each chapter is inspired by a different song, and this first chapter will be the playlist for those that are interested in hearing the song that was used as a prompt for each piece. While these are all inspired by songs this is not your typical song-fic as there will be no lyrics interspersed in the fic. Some lyrics may be seen within the dialogue, but again is used as the inspiration for the fics.

Chapter 1: Table of Contents and Music Playlist 

Chapter 2: [Time of Dying - Three Days Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZinX209rA)

Chapter 3: [Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNFgynmVmx0)

Chapter 4: [Last to Know - Three Days Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URblbwlpnLc)

 

 

 

 _I'll try to continue to include lyric based videos so that you have a one-stop shop of getting the music and lyrics._  



	2. I'll Wait Here for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles wakes up to strange things happening around him at the mansion, as he keeps hearing his friends and students calling out to him in his head.

There was a loud sound, a bang, before memories flashed past Charles' mind, memories his life, his childhood. Everything.

 

With a startled breath he jolted awake in his bed. It took a few moments to calm his breathing, back to the steady pace that was normal. When he felt he'd managed to get himself in check he looked around the room that was starting to fill with the morning light.

The room wasn't his own. It was Erik's. Looking to his side he saw the sleeping figure of Erik, not at all woken up by his movement.

Odd… Charles couldn't remember spending the night in Erik's room, or if Erik even returned his affections. He watched the other man's naked chest rise and fall with each moment that passed, seeing the slow signs of him waking up.

"Charles?" Erik mumbled sitting up next to Charles, who hadn't moved since he woke up.

"Good morning," he offered, not sure how he should be reacting to this.

Erik's hand reached up to cup the side of Charles' face, and gave a chaste kiss to his cheek, "Is everything alright, Charles?"

The gesture was loving, something he had craved from the other man since they met in the chilly waters that night in Florida. He felt like he was choking on his breath again, trying to say he was fine, but he couldn't.

"Let me take care of you," Erik offered, getting up from the bed. He moved around it propping Charles up against the headboard and tucking the covers in around him.

"Why?" Charles asked, confused by it all.

"Do I need a reason to care for you?" Erik asked a slight twinkle in his eye, the grin filling his face.

Charles was speechless.

He'd always wanted to see Erik when there was no shadow of Shaw hanging over him, and he could almost see the man that he should have been. Shaw…they had gone after Shaw, why couldn't Charles remember anything more than that? 

Closing his eyes he could hear the voices in his head again.

_Charles!! Charles, please wake up!_

It almost sounded like Moira. Wake up? What did that mean?

When he opened his eyes Erik was entering the bedroom with a tray floating beside him. It continued towards Charles, setting itself down on his lap. It was strange for a second he didn't feel the tray land, but it must have something to do with the large duvet, and Erik having finally mastered his powers.

They sat there for what seemed like hours, spending their time in deep discussion of Charles' studies and everything they knew about mutations. Charles was talking far more than Erik, but that was one of the few things that seemed normal about the day.

The sun started lowering in the sky, tinting the room a beautiful shade of red-purple, making Charles wish they'd been seated outside instead of in this room.

"Why don't we go outside for a bit?" Charles asked, starting to pull the covers away from where Erik had tucked him in.

"Outside, Charles?" Erik looked at him like he was mad, "It's nearly midnight, why would we go outside?"

Charles looked back at the windows seeing the pitch black of the night sky through them. "But…it was-"

"I think you need sleep," Erik repositioned him again, pulling him tight into his arms, not giving Charles much to complain about.

_Charles…wake up, we can't do this without you,_ it was Hank's voice this time spiraling through his mind.

_Come on professor,_ Alex's voice seemed strained, frustrated with something.

Every few seconds he heard the sound of a beep, it was like the tick of a clock.

When he woke up the next morning he wasn't surprised to see Erik already out of bed. The man liked his routines, and yesterday had been unusual.

Charles pushed himself up from his stomach, his legs still asleep and unmoving as he tried to wrestle himself into a more comfortable position until they woke up. Busting through the door came the gang of kids, Sean, Alex, Hank, Raven, Angel, and Darwin.

"Hey professor!" Sean called, a little louder than a normal human, but quite for him.

"Charles!" Raven said racing to pile on the bed next to him.

He looked between their faces, Angel smiled at him, they had gotten her back. Like a child taken away from her parents, Charles had missed her presence when they moved to the mansion.

And Darwin…why didn't he have any memories of Darwin at the house with them. Something seemed to be blocking him out of his thoughts. 

Something wasn't right.

Closing his eyes, Charles heard the voices in his head again.

Please Charles, it was Raven.

He looked to his side where Raven had been just a moment ago, but she was no longer there. All the kids had gone, and he was alone again in the bed that was far too large for any one person. It was dark, had he fallen asleep?

Charles tossed the covers from his legs and tried to move them, but it seemed impossible. Why wouldn't they obey.

"Charles?" Erik stood above him, looking at him with concern. "I don't think you're feeling well, why don't we go to bed."

"Of course I'm not feeling well, my legs won't move…" Charles said, starting to hyperventilate.

"Charles, calm your mind. Just try to sleep."

He closed his eyes, listening as the beeping returned from last night's thoughts. The sound was less regulated, a higher pitch and coming faster with each breath he took…it matched his breathing.

_What's wrong with him?_ Hank demanded.

_I'm not sure,_ a woman said.

_Well figure it out!_ Alex yelled.

_He's different from the people I usually take care of, you said so yourself,_ the woman replied starting to get her panicked voice under control.

_Of course he'd different we all are, even you, that's why we came to you._ Hank tried to reason with her.

So she must be a mutant Charles thought, wanting to join the conversation to figure out what was wrong.

_I know, and the only explanation I can come up with is that he's put himself into a telepathically induced coma. He's controlling it. And without a more powerful telepath he may be stuck in his mind forever._

Stuck? Charles wondered.

Waking up from his dream, Charles felt the tight grip of Erik around his waist.

"Let go Erik." He tried to be calm about it, but between the oddities of the last few days and the constant dreams, Charles had to figure out what was going on.

"I can't let go, I'll lose you."

"What?" Charles stopped. He maneuvered himself around to look into Erik's eyes. The man looked broken, worse than any memory that Charles had seen in his mind. "Erik…"

Charles blinked his eyes shut for a second.

_Please wake up Charles. They need you. I can't be the same thing you are to them._ It was Erik's voice this time. _Please..._

Charles opened his eyes, finally seeing something other than Erik's room at the mansion.

It was cold and sterile, smelling of a hospital. Voices clouded his mind, ones he had barely noticed were missing over the last few days. There was a sharp pain in his back, a few vertebrae up from his tailbone.

He remembered it all now. Shaw's death, Erik flicking the bullet and it burying deep into Charles' back, Raven leaving with Erik, and Charles realizing for the first moment he would never walk again.

"Charles," the voice was tentative, but Charles knew it far too well.

"Why are you here Erik?" The words were a bitter taste in Charles' mouth. He wanted to be happy to see Erik, except now he not only had the memories of Cuba, but the hopes from his dreams.

"You found me in your dreams. The first one I just observed, and how I wish it could go back to those days," Erik explained.

_Then don't leave_ , the words raced in Charles' head.

"I have to Charles."

It took him a moment to look at the figure in the dark room. "The helmet?" he asked when he realized Erik wasn't wearing it.

"I had Raven find out what happened to you. She came back distraught about your condition, and I realized that the dream I had of us together was you reaching out. I had to come see if I could pull you out."

"Erik…"

"Charles, the others…they need you with them. Don't hide yourself away." Erik stood up from the visitor's chair where he'd been seated. He leaned closer to Charles until he could almost see the blues in those driven eyes. _I'm sorry,_ came the whisper into his mind as a kiss was placed to his temple and Erik turned on his heels. There was a quick set of pops and he was gone.

"Charles!" Hank yelled running into the room, flipping the lights as he settled in the doorway.

"Yes, Hank. I'm alright." Charles replied, the edge of his mouth forcing into a smile to reassure the boy, "Everything will be alright."


	3. Innocence is Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik will do what it takes to be the catalyst for the mutant cause.

"I've seen what Humans can do to anyone who is different." Erik is yelling over the crowd as he pushed aside the sleeve on his left arm. He shows off the numbers tattooed in a shaky hand. "They have done it before, and they will do it again."

It's a shock to the audience, but he does it because he knows better. Erik won't let his people be repressed and killed again.

He does it this for one more reason... No matter how much he and Charles disagree on their methods, the two of them make a whole. By exposing his 'sins' it will strengthen Charles' approach.

"We will never be free as long as they rule." Cheers ring out through the protesters. Mutants together, united under a single cause.

 _I'm doing this for you, old friend..._ He thinks to himself knowing that Charles can't hear him through the helmet still on his head.

"The time of peace and innocence is gone, we must rally now before they decide to strike first."

'We have it in us to be the better men,' he remembers those words spoken to him by Charles.

So naive the man, but Erik didn't have it in him to bring him down any further than he already had. This was the least he could do to further their cause.


	4. Last to Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles still wakes up in the night thinking of the moment he was abandoned by his only family.

Charles woke in his bed alone. It wasn't the first time he'd been startled back into reality.

They were gone.

It wasn't until he heard the knock on the door and the faint call of 'professor' that he realized that he'd projected the pain again.

  
_I'm fine Hank. Go back to bed,_ he voiced to the scientist's mind. Charles wasn't quite ready to admit that he might have put a bit of persuasion into the thought.

Watching through his powers, he felt the moment Hank made it back to his room and back into his own restless sleep.

Charles rubbed at his eyes, starting to get used to the tears that fell down his cheeks each time that he woke this way. Pictures of the day on that beach were always roaming around his head. 

Raven had left him. 

Erik had abandoned him.

He'd let his only family walk away from him, but what else could he do? They wanted different worlds, and it had already been a strain on the way they lived.

Erik had told him that it wouldn't work out, that their thoughts on the matter were far too different. Stubborn, Charles knew he had been stubborn to think he could change the man. Someone who had been following after his mother's killer for more than half his life wasn't going to change his mind easily, but Charles had been the fool that thought he could.

And Raven...Raven had left him for Erik. She was his other half, they dealt with the stress and pain of growing up in this house together, and she just left him.

"How could you!" he yelled to the empty room.

His mind was starting to twist it all around to try and rationalize what had happened.

Erik must have been recruiting Raven to his side the whole time, convincing her to see his way. Maybe he thought that Raven could convince Charles to change his views. Erik had tried to sway him, it didn't seem that it was above him to use other means such as Raven to make Charles see his point of view.

How long had they been planning it? Since they came to the mansion? Or had it been the moment he pulled Erik from the waters near Miami?

Erik stole Raven away from him.

Charles dropped his back to the bed, "what's wrong with me?" This was a question he asked himself often. Charles knew better...he let Raven go, he was the reason Erik left. Erik wanted to stay and Charles told him to leave.

It was a concept he couldn't get though his head.

Everything was his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who is looking for the "new" chapter I decided to make it the first chapter, so you'll want to go to chapter 2.


End file.
